As we know, people and families can change over time. Reinstating parental rights has recently emerged as a strategy to achieve permanency for children and youth in foster care in certain circumstances. A small number of States now allow a petition to be filed with the court requesting reinstatement of a parent's rights if a permanent placement has not been achieved within a specific timeframe. Resources on reinstating parental rights include State and local examples.
Backward Progress Toward Reinstating Parental Rights (PDF - 402 KB)
Adams (2017)
N.Y.U. Review of Law & Social Change, 41
Explores State laws on reinstatement of parental rights passed to address the increasing number of children in the foster care system. The website describes how, for the most part, these laws have been inadequate to address the problem because they are motivated by a view of termination of parents' rights that does not fit current realities.
Bio Family 2.0: Can the American Child Welfare System Finally Find Permanency for 'Legal Orphans' With a Statute to Reinstate Parental Rights? (PDF - 169 KB)
Schalick (2014)
University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, 47(2)
Proposes a model statutory provision to reinstate parental rights under certain circumstances to give legal orphans a second chance with their rehabilitated biological parents.
| Series Title | State Statutes |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 1,381KB) |
| Year Published | 2017 |
Reinstatement of Parental Rights
University of Washington School of Law Court Improvement Training Academy (2014)
Presents legal information on the reinstatement of parental rights in child welfare cases including on the topics of eligibility, hearings, considerations of the court, efforts to achieve permanency, timing, and more.
Reinstatement of Parental Rights After Termination
FindLaw (2018)
Outlines situations in which parents may be able to have their parental rights reinstated, depending on the State and discusses what termination and restoration of parental rights mean and differences in State laws.
Reinstatement of Parental Rights State Statue Summary
National Conference of State Legislatures (2016)
Provides information about States that have legislation in place that allows for the reinstatement of parental rights following termination of parental rights.
Strong Families Information Packet: How Have States Implemented Parental Rights Restoration and Reinstatement? (PDF - 463 KB)
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Discusses parental rights restoration and reinstatement, an important option for youth who remain in foster care after their parents have addressed and remedied issues that prompted the termination of their rights. The report provides key highlights about the topic, additional resources, and it highlights statutes in various States.
State and local examples
Reinstatement of Parental Rights
Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (2014)
Provides policy guidelines for the reinstatement of parental rights in LA County after such rights have been removed.
Reinstatement of Parental Rights in NC: Myths and Facts
Fostering Perspectives (2014)
Explores myths and facts around the restoration of parental rights in North Carolina and discusses topics such as the child's living arrangements, who can file for reinstatement of rights, how the rights can be granted, whether the child has a say, and more.
Restoration of Parental Rights (PDF - 894 KB)
Virginia Commission on Youth (2013)
Presents the findings and a study of legislation introduced in Virginia that would establish a procedure for restoring terminated parental rights. The study includes recommendations for legislative change in Virginia.